The present invention relates generally to a golf club head and, more particularly, to a putter head.
Putting is an important aspect of the game of golf. During a typical round of golf, a putter is the club most often used. To putt effectively, a golfer must predict a path of travel from the golf ball's stationary position to the cup. Then, using the putter, the golfer must strike the ball with the appropriate force and alignment to cause the ball to roll along the predicted path.
Misalignment of the putter with respect to the ball during impact, i.e., off-center hits, is a chief source of error in putting. Upon impact with the ball in an off-center hit, the putter undergoes angular acceleration, both longitudinally (i.e., about a heel-to-toe axis) and laterally (i.e., about a front-to-rear axis). This causes the ball to deviate from the predicted path. A club head's moment of inertia is a measure of the club's ability to resist angular acceleration about a particular axis. Although attempts have been made to counteract angular acceleration from off-center hits, they have been deficient in some respects. For example, prior approaches have not properly accounted for angular acceleration, about both longitudinal and lateral axes.
It should, therefore, be appreciated that there exists a need for a putter having enhanced moment of inertia characteristics for improved off-center hit accuracy. The present invention fulfills this need and others.